Various types of rotary devices are used for handling articles on automated handling lines. On an automated handling line that involves filling bottles with liquids, for example, such rotary devices may include fillers, cappers, labelers, and star wheel conveyors. Often such rotary devices will be provided with their own drive motor, such as a servo motor, for rotating the rotary device.
It may be necessary for automated handling lines to process articles such as containers of varying shapes and sizes. This has, however, created challenges for such rotary devices. For example, in the case of many current star wheels, each star wheel can only handle containers of a specific shape and size, so this requires changing the star wheel plates or disks each time a different container is introduced onto the handling line. This is undesirable as it is both time consuming and necessitates having to keep a stock of different-sized star wheel plates. In addition, in some cases, it is desirable to adjust the elevation of rotary devices to accommodate articles of different heights. Not all rotary devices are adjustable in height. In those cases when rotary devices are adjustable in height, the adjustability, if powered, often requires a separate motor to implement the adjustment.
The patent literature describes a number of efforts to improve such devices These include, but are not limited to devices described in: U.S. Pat. No. 1,981,641; U.S. Pat. No. 2,324,312; U.S. Pat. No. 3,957,154; U.S. Pat. No. 4,124,112; U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,695; U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,599; U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,105; U.S. Pat. No. 5,540,320; U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,753; U.S. Pat. No. 7,007,793 B2; U.S. Pat. No. 7,398,871 B1; U.S. Patent Publication US 2007/0271871 A1; U.S. Pat. No. 8,418,836 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2011/0272246 A1, both published in the name of Papsdorf; DE 19903319A; EP 0 355 971 B1; EP 0 401 698 B1; EP 0 412 059 B1; EP 0 659 683 B1; EP 0 894 544 A2; EP 1 663 824 B1; JP Publication JP 10035879 A; PCT WO 2005/030616 A2; and PCT WO 2009/040531 A1. Adjustable guide rails for star wheels are also described the patent literature, including in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,540,320 and PCT Publication WO 2005/030616 A2, as well as in U.S. Pat. No. 7,431,150 B2; PCT WO 2005/123553 A1; and U.S. Pat. No. 8,499,921, Orndorff.
The search for improved mechanisms for adjusting rotary devices has, however, continued. In particular, it is desirable to provide a rotary device that has a simple adjustment system that has increased flexibility to handle articles having many different sizes and configurations, and is less expensive to manufacture and/or operate than star wheels with multiple change parts, and other automatic adjustment options for such devices.